Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40855470›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2025

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) that hides its identity: features of LC2 and EC73 strains from recurrent urinary tract infections.

Linda Maurizi, Layla Musleh, Francesca Brunetti, Antonietta Lucia Conte, Anna Riccioli, Silvia Sideri, Maria Grazia Ammendolia, Daniela Uccelletti, Emily Schifano, Marta De Angelis and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Prophylactic Potential ofMicroorganisms · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. More than an infection: the ecological puzzle of recurrent urinary tract infections.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Linda MauriziDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Layla MuslehDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Francesca BrunettiDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Antonietta Lucia ConteDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Anna RiccioliDepartment of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedics, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Silvia SideriDepartment of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedics, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Maria Grazia AmmendoliaDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy. maria.ammendolia@iss.it.
Daniela UccellettiNational Center for Innovative Technologies in Public Health, Italian National Institute of Health, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome, 00161, Italy.
Emily SchifanoNational Center for Innovative Technologies in Public Health, Italian National Institute of Health, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome, 00161, Italy.
Marta De AngelisDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Giusi IaniroDepartment of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, 86090, Italy.
Antonella NiroDepartment of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, 86090, Italy.
Antimo CutoneDepartment of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, 86090, Italy.
Maria Pia ConteDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
Catia LonghiDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Microbiology Section, P. le Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy. catia.longhi@uniroma1.it.

Funding

Ricerca Scientifica 2023 "Sapienza" University of Rome RM123188E89E940B
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are the major causative agents of human urinary tract infections (UTIs). Many patients who develop UTIs will experience a recurrent UTI (RUTI) within 6 months despite antibiotic-mediated clearance of the initial infection. A significant proportion of RUTIs are caused by E. coli identical to the original strain. UPEC employs several strategies to adhere, colonize, and persist within the bladder niche. Knowledge about the mechanisms regulating specific host-pathogen interactions that promote bacterial persistence is necessary to develop new approaches to RUTI diagnosis and treatment.

resultsLC2 and EC73 UPEC strains were collected from patients with RUTIs. E. coli CFT073 and K-12 MG1655 were used as reference strains. UPEC displayed phenotypic profiles like those of the general E. coli population. The pan-genome analysis revealed that LC2 harbored many unique genes encoding several different functions such as intracellular trafficking and secretion, and vesicular transport. Contrarily, EC73 was the strain with the lowest number of unique genes involved in replication, recombination, repair and cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis. LC2 and EC73 exhibited the capacity to invade bladder monolayers efficiently and to colonize the gut of Caenorhabditis elegans, with LC2 being significantly more virulent than EC73. T24 cells infected with EC73 and LC2 strains exhibited significantly increased mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α. EC73 elicited the strongest cytokine response. Differently, no significant cytokine mRNA induction was detected in T24 cells infected with E. coli CFT073. LC2 and EC73 modulated the expression of proteins involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance in infected cells, but to different extents.

conclusionThe acquisition of virulence factors by horizontal transfer of accessory DNA, other than being the cause of transformation to pathogenic strains, is responsible for the genomic plasticity. Our findings suggest that a key role in RUTIs could be played by certain bacterial strains that may benefit from peculiar abilities to adapt and potentially develop reservoirs of persistence across different host environments.

Indexed as

Escherichia coli InfectionsUrinary Tract InfectionsUropathogenic Escherichia coliAnimalsCaenorhabditis elegansCell LineEscherichia coli ProteinsGenome, BacterialHost-Pathogen InteractionsHumansRecurrenceUrinary BladderVirulenceVirulence FactorsEscherichia coli ProteinsVirulence FactorsBladderRecurrenceUrinary tract infectionsUropathogenic Escherichia coli

Identifiers

PMID40855470
PMCPMC12376328

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.